Speaking to a group of first-year Practical Nursing (R.P.N.) students, Julia Phelan is demonstrating the proper way to serve dinner to a blind patient in a hospital. “You want to make sure you that you describe the plate as a clock: your chickpeas are at 12:00, your yoghurt is at 6:00, your chicken is at 3:00, and so on,” she says.
The role of teacher comes naturally to Phelan. With her confidence and knowledge base, one might mistake the dynamic 50-something year-old as a professor, when in fact she is a nursing student herself, enrolled in the new Bridging R.P.N to B.Sc.N program, a joint initiative between George Brown and Trent University.
Phelan is already gaining the hands-on experience she will need as a registered nurse. During her R.P.N. diploma program, she did a four month internship in the palliative care unit at Toronto Grace Hospital. They liked her work so much they offered her a paid position. Currently, she tends to individuals who are at the end of their lives.
“It’s a place where people are going forward to the next stage of life, and our job is to provide them with the best possible care,” she says.
She believes that one of the key elements of good care is an interprofessional or holistic approach that addresses both mind and body.
“I am always learning from others, whether from a physiotherapist on how to ergonomically move a patient, or a social worker on how to deal with a family issue. Interprofessional health care is something that hospitals are moving towards, and it is a key teaching focus at George Brown,” she says.
You might say that nursing is the next logical step for Phelan in a career that has spanned chef, restaurateur and nutritional manager. Her career trajectory has always been about combining her passion for food with her interest in health and wellness. The College has supported her throughout her career development.
“George Brown got me the job immediately after graduation on three different occasions: first as a chef, then as a nutritional manager and now as a nurse.” she says. “The instructors are very encouraging of you in your job placements, which are the best ways to network and find employment.”
As for the next stage of her career, Phelan would like to become a nursing educator, perhaps providing people with diabetes education or instructing in a school of nursing.
“I’m constantly researching. I want to find my niche in health care. I’m not a 20 year-old and nursing is a physically demanding job. I want to segue into a career that is more suitable to my age,” she says.
No doubt George Brown will be part of her future, as will travel. Soon she and her fiancé will take a year to go sailing with a stop in the Bahamas.
“I would like to do a little world exploration and see where I could fit in as a nurse educator. The possibilities are endless,” she says.
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